Mr. Stephens was born in Birmingham, AL on April 14, 1939, and son of Elton B. and Alys R. Stephens. He attended Birmingham public schools before attending Yale University (A.B. in history – 1961) and receiving his M.B.A. degree in 1964 from Harvard.
He served in the United States Army as a lieutenant and he was airborne qualified. His career with EBSCO began in 1965 at an early age. He was named president and chief executive officer of EBSCO at the age of 30. This was a major decision for his father to make but clearly speaks of his confidence in Jim’s leadership abilities. In business matters, Jim’s mental and physical energy are constantly apparent to those who work with him. EBSCO is a complex business organization with a very diverse mix of companies. Mr. Stephens is engaged in all of them as if each is his only concern.
Currently, Mr. Stephens is Chairman of the Board of EBSCO Industries, Inc. He served as president from October 30, 1970, through June 30, 2005, through the company’s major growth to its status as a worldwide company of over 5,000 employees at 36 locations in 20 countries. EBSCO is a widely diversified sales/marketing and manufacturing company operating worldwide with 105 profit/service centers, and with sales of over $2,100,000,000. It is the largest privately-owned company in Alabama and one of the top 200 privately-owned companies in the United States. EBSCO has subsidiaries located around the world.
His civic involvement includes numerous positions with the Boy Scouts of America Central Alabama Council. He is a strong believer in education which is evidenced by his civic involvement in so many different schools. He was past president of the Board of Trustees of the Highlands School, past president of the Board of Trustees of Altamont School, a member of the Board of Trustees since 1989 of Birmingham-Southern College as well as chairman of the Board for 2005-2006. He is on the finance committee for the University of Alabama Health Services Foundation and chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Alabama Symphony Endowment Board. The University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2003.
Mr. Stephens is philanthropically involved in the Elton Bryson Stephens Science Laboratory Center at Birmingham-Southern College, the Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, the Alabama Symphonic Association, and the Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of the United Way’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society. He chaired successful campaigns for the University of Alabama’s School of Information Sciences in the 1990s. He also chaired a successful campaign for the Boy Scout’s Character for Central Alabama Council. The University of Alabama was privileged to have Mr. Stephens as the keynote speaker for the May 12, 2007 commencement ceremonies. (nominated by Ehney A. Camp III in 2007)
